Early Modern Societies

Our faculty has long specialized in the study of the period between 1450 and 1800, exploring the social, religious, political, and intellectual history of Early Modern societies from around the globe. The history of the Atlantic World, or the history of interactions between peoples and empires bordering the Atlantic Ocean, is a particular point of strength in our department, and has led to numerous fruitful collaborations between faculty.

Sub-fields

Early Modern Europe

Our department has long had a strength in the study of Early Modern Europe between, roughly, the 15th and 18th centuries. Our faculty teach and research many aspects of this era, ranging from the lives of French aristocrats to the growth of medical and scientific knowledge.

Early Modern Asia

Faculty

The Phoenix Throne of the king of Joseon in Gyeongbokgung Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Colonial North and South America

Our faculty works to better understand the anxious relationships between European colonists, enslaved Africans, indigenous peoples, and the lived environment in North and South America and the Caribbean.

Faculty

The Atlantic World

A particular point of pride in our department is our strength in the study of the Atlantic World, the community created by the cultural and economic connections between the countries and peoples bordering the Atlantic Ocean.